London Life

Thought it was about time for an update on what John and Marie-Claire have been up to over the past few months. We are both still in the same temporary jobs we have been in for quite a while now and they are both going well. MC has just finished a busy month at work covering for people on leave so is quite glad to be going back to her usual workload next week! John has also been busy and has even had to do some overtime lately which is virtually unheard of!! John is still enjoying playing football on Saturdays and quite a bit of badminton. MC is going to the gym after work to watch Home and Away (I mean!! do some exercise...)

We went on the Waitangi Day pub crawl back in February which was a fun day. It's supposed to be a pub crawl round the Circle line on the tube but we ended up making the most of the gorgeous, sunny winter day and walking most of it. Plus the tube was packed with drunken Kiwis!
Group shot at Notting Hill Gate.
Huia, Henry, Julia, John and MC at Bayswater.
This was the start of our pilgrimage to Elland Rd, Leeds. We got tickets to a home game (way back in November last year). MC's dad was very jealous being a devoted Leeds supporter.
The Billy Bremner statue outside the ground.
The ground.
We had pretty good seats, close to the action and had fun listening to the vocal fans and learning their songs. Leeds won 2-1 and even managed to score a goal while MC was on the phone to Dad who got up at some ridiculous hour in NZ to be there in spirit. Not that he could hear what was going on with all the crowd noise.
Started the game in the sun and ended in the dark, got dark about 3.30pm back in November. Thankfully spring has arrived now so the days are finally getting longer!
A day trip out to Greenwich - this is the view of Canary Wharf in the city from hill by the Greenwich Observatory.
MC on either side of the Meridian Line.
Greenwich Mean Time clock.
John with Captain Cook in Greenwich.
The Old Naval College in Greenwich.
The Pub Crawl day again - Churchill looking down on the patriotic Kiwis in Westminster.
MC and Huia in the 'Powder Room' (ie toilets) at the Ritz (unfortunately you weren't allowed to take photos in the Tea Room!). We had a lovely (if slightly pricey!) afternoon tea.
Outside the Ritz after eating all the cucumber sandwiches, scones with jam and cream and divine little cakes MC could fit in.
Huia, Ally and MC at the Ritz.
Brick Lane markets in London's East End. CD anyone?
Big Ben, parliament and the London Eye by night.
Some more Waitangi Day pics - Julia, Gemma and Stacey.
Waitangi Day again - lots of funny dress-ups.
John bumped into Kim from his soccer team in Dunedin.
Big Ben.
We went ice-skating in Kew Gardens at the start of winter. Love the styley orange skates.
Very pretty setting for skating.
Having a break. The skates may have been styley but they weren't comfy!
Huia, Henry and John.
John striking a pose.
Been to the Camden markets a few times, the Camden High St is an attraction in itself though with its punk and goth shops and interesting shop exteriors.
Camden High St.
John and Jeremy having a feed at the Camden Market.
Look no hands!
Henry and Huia and the Kew Garden palace.
Yum, Devonshire cream tea.
John outside Windsor castle.
MC in the park in Windsor. The castle is in the background.
The chapel at Eton College.
John being naughty in Eton.
Old English buildings in Eton.

In January we went to Wales for a spot of horseriding in the country. That's John and his horse Max.
Horseriding in the pretty Wales countryside. Was fun except for when MC's naughty horse Woody had to get his head tied back so he wouldn't keep stopping to eat grass.
Thanks to Hannah we got mate's rates for the weekend in Wales, staying in a cosy house with a spa in the garden and all our meals cooked for us. Plus the host's cute dog Trudy who really really wanted some of John's satay.
MC and Hannah in the wee township we stayed in in Wales.A few weeks ago we spent a Sunday afternoon in Cambridge. Behind MC is King's College.
The River Cam runs through Cambridge and is filled with punts.
St John's College, Cambridge University.
John in the grounds of Trinity College, probably the most attractive of all the colleges the University encompasses.
Trinity College, Cambridge University.
King's College, Cambridge University.

So those are the highlights of the past few months. We have just got back from an Easter trip to Dublin (photos to come) and have lots of trips to look forward to in the coming months - including Turkey in April, Budapest in May, Sardinia in June and Croatia in July. MC is also looking forward to seeing Les Miserables this week. The weather is improving, the squirrels are slowly coming out of hibernation and the daffodils are in full bloom - bring on summer!!

Merry Christmas from Edinburgh

We decided to swap London for Edinburgh for Christmas this year. We had 5 great days there and both enjoyed our first taste of Scotland. Will definitely want to go back again next year and see the Highlands.

To work up a Christmas lunch appetite, we went for a walk up Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano which has good views of the city. As usual, John insisted we take a 'shortcut' on the way down as he preferred to scramble down the rocks rather than take the pathway. It wasn't till he got down to the bottom that he noticed the stairs to the right of the photo and stood laughing watching MC struggling down the cliff-face!
Holyrood Palace (where the Queen stays when she's in town) from Arthur's Seat.
John getting into the festive spirit. We had Christmas dinner in a cosy pub on the Royal Mile.
It's Oor Wullie! (That's for Jonny...)
Bahaha. At the Royal Museum.
Stirling Castle. Pretty impressive castle an hour or two out of Edinburgh, and the scene of lots of Scottish history (Robert the Bruce and William Wallace etc) which we learnt all about!
John attempting to climb up Arthur's Seat.
And again.
The view of Edinburgh from Arthur's Seat.
John on top of Arthur's Seat.
The bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond.
Loch Lomond
Aberfoyle, a sleepy wee town out of Edinburgh.
Dramatic cliffs below Stirling Castle.
John and the walls of Stirling Castle.
View of Edinburgh from another cool castle - Edinburgh Castle.
MC and Edinburgh Castle, sitting on another extinct volcano.
St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile (series of ancient streets which lead from The Palace of Holyroodhouse to the castle).
John and Loch Lomond.
Loch Lomond.
Festive Edinburgh by night. Ferris wheel and ice skating surrounded by a Christmas Market.
The Broons! Was funny as MC was regaling John with stories of reading the Broons and Oor Wullie comics at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and then the next day we saw them in all the bookshops!
John on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle, where they hold the military tattoo.
View of Edinburgh from the castle.
More views of Edinburgh from the castle.
John looking out onto Princes St and the Winter Wonderland they set up at Christmas time. We had fun seeing all the street names that are the same as in Dunedin (Princes, Great King, George, Dundas, Forth, Albany, Moray Place, the list goes on...)
Gluhwein at the Christmas Market. MC was disappointed not to be able to make it back to Germany for the Christmas Markets, but happily we found a little Scottish replica here.
Those funny wooden German men that smoke incense.
John and the Christmas carnival.
MC in front of the gothic Scott monument.